Beyond Reason
by Lavish22
Summary: Beyond Birthday was many things: smart, driven, an orphan. A killer. With the help of Naome, L prevented BB from taking his own life in an attempt to stump the detective. Beyond decided to tell Naome his reasoning's as he faced a life-sentence in prison, but it wasn't the complete truth. Now, his secrets are brought to light within the Kira case as someone copies B flawlessly.
1. Prologue

_**So, this story was inspired by another fanfic on this site: Seeing Reality by u/4060969/lotusflowerlove6**_

 _ **I give her the credit she deserves for this plot. Thank you, Lotus! ^~^**_

* * *

The news of BB's death didn't surprise me at first. Some years ago, we agreed that if he got caught, then he'd do anything to conceal me. But, upon hearing he was murdered.. Well, let's just say most of my few belongings can't be restored.

Of course I went on to do some digging around and researched everything I could find about this so-called _'savior'_ and _'god.'_ Criminals were dying left and right from heart attacks across the globe. The rate increased rapidly, and the worst offenders had been wiped out first. Kira -as he was named- killed Beyond Birthday, not for personal reasons, but for what he thought was justice. And this man had piqued L's interest.

I admit, I was somewhat jealous of him. Not just anyone could achieve this. But L didn't know everything. You see, never once did the detective predict that Beyond had lied to Naomi Misora about the murders.

Maybe it was time to show L and Kira both that BB wasn't lost, as death hardly stood in my way when I wanted to speak to the deceased.


	2. Attention

_**This may seem abstract now, but I promise it'll get better.**_

 _ **Onwards, my readers, and enjoy.**_

L sat in a room with nothing but his laptop as he continued his investigation of Kira. There was no shock when he discovered Beyond Birthday had fell victim of the mass murderer's will.

The detective bit his thumb in concentration, mind returning to the case at hand. He'd have to prove Kira was real, and not just a random pattern of unexplained heart attacks. L knew this to be true, but the rest of the world liked confirmation of such things.

L put together a visual image of the killer's personality that portrayed in his actions. Childish, vengeful, clever, intelligent. All in all, a lot like himself.

' _And how would someone go about pushing_ me _into a rash decision?'_ he debated in his mind.

* * *

"Please!" begged a woman, backing up against a wall. "You don't have to do this! Oh, God, don't kill me!"

The person grinned psychotically, obviously ignoring her pleading. They advanced on her menacingly. She burst into sobs, covering her mouth like that would help her.

"T-take my money! You can have anything you want, just don't kill me!"

She tried running for the front door, but the killer grabbed her wrist and wrestled her to the floor. They struggled, but pinning the woman down was easy enough to do. No, this woman wouldn't live to see the morning.

* * *

I watched as Kira struck down Lind L. Tailor on live TV. The man grabbed his chest while his heart attack took his life. Yes, that was Kira's handiwork. When I went to walk off, a scrambled voice came from the large screen on a skyscraper in Tokyo. I looked back up to see a calligraphy L on a blank white background.

Someone spoke about not expecting to need a proxy, even though he took the precaution. He said he was L, the _real_ L, and challenged Kira to kill him, too. Some called for Kira to so just that, but it never happened.

Satisfied, the detective went on to reveal his own secrets. He hadn't made it a world-wide broadcast like he said it was. The man ended the signal with one last taunt toward Kira: that he'd find him soon and ask how Kira came upon the power to kill the way he did.

The regularly scheduled program reappeared on the screen, and people started going back to what they were doing before.

Ky rubbed his head against my chin, purring loudly to get my attention.

' _Love me,'_ he seemed to say.

Laughing, I scratched behind his ear affectionately. "You're such a selfish kitten, Ky."

The black kitten gazed into brown irises, his blue ones like a Siamese despite the fact he wasn't a part of that breed.

"Oh, I know. You're hungry, aren't you?" Smiling with my eyes closed, I scratched underneath his chin. "Well, let's go find somewhere to eat."


	3. It Starts Again

_**Sorry these chapters are short, but I'm working up to the big stuff. ^^' Just bare with me, readers.**_

L was already on a case –the Kira investigation- but this new murder, it deeply disturbed him.

A woman had been killed at roughly 2 AM by an unknown assailant in her house while her husband was at a meeting in Okinawa. He returned at 8 AM and found 41-year-old Bakura Bizdow, his wife, dead in the kitchen.

Bakura had been dragged and choked with a rope, the COD being a crushed Tricia and dislocated vertebra. A single Wara Ningyo (straw doll) had been placed on the counter. L had requested police search the fridge, and, as he expected, it contained several jars of strawberry jam. The killer even took the time to redress the victim, and wiped the enter crime scene of his fingerprints.

The detective found himself thinking back to LA, and the case he worked there. It all matched up. Everything pointed to Beyond Birthday, which was impossible as he had passed away in 2004 on the 21st of January.

It was a 56% chance this was a coincidence, and less than 40% of it being a copycat, though not all of the LABB Case's details had been released. Yet not one of them had been missed there in Japan. There was one mistake, however. Believe Bridesmaid's corpse had four dolls while Bakura Bizdow had one.

L had told the police to get a forensic x-ray for the Roman numerals that had been in Back-up's first kill. They'd spell out the name of the next victim.

Who would murder in the name of Beyond? He had no parents, grandparents, or siblings; he had no friends at Wammy's other than A, another one of L's candidates to be his successor. Unfortunately, he committed suicide. That boy was easy to get along with If anything, it would make more sense if…

L's eyes lit up at the sudden realization. Back-up and A were close friends. Both died prematurely. What if the killer was using Beyond's methods to honor his friendship with A?

"Watari," the detective said, speaking into the microphone. "I need all the files of the orphans at Wammy's."

The screen hadn't changed, but he was undoubtedly working on his request. He nibbled on the end of his thumb in concentration. Hopefully, Kira wouldn't kill this criminal before he solved the case. It would be an insult to his pride in a way.


	4. Rescued

_**Enjoy, and onwards~**_

 **~A few days later~**

I was walking home with Ky beside me trying to keep up with my pace. It was dark out, and black clouds blocked the night sky and the moon. My headphones were in my ears to keep me from listening to the voices only I seemed to hear, and I kept my eyes trained on the dirty path before me so I wouldn't see the shadowy figures attempting to touch me, to get my attention. They wanted help.

My kitten hissed and puffed up whenever one would get too close for his liking. He was my fuzzy little guardian and loyal protector. Ky was my only friend, too.

Since I was immersed in the lyrics that blasted through my headphones, I didn't hear the set of solid footsteps behind me. Who knows how long I was being tailed before the man grabbed my mouth and neck.

Struggling, I tried to scream, but his palm muffled the noise. Ky meowed insistently, swatting the man's ankles with his fur along his spine ridged.

The cold bite of metal touched my throat, and a gruff voice spoke by my ear. "Shut up, or I'll kill you," he commanded.

I whimpered, seeing several hazy women standing around us. They were transparent and mostly white in color. Toward their knees, their legs dissipated. All of their eyes were covered with their hair, but one gazed up at her through her tresses. It was hollow, demanding. She made their message clear: _'One of us.'_

Tears welled up in my eyes. The sheer agony they had felt before death was enough to make me tremble. I had forgotten what was going on other than the women until a man shouted from a distance.

"Hey!" he yelled.

The man gripping me let go and bolted down the alley, the blade falling to the ground. Another man with an afro chased after him. The man who had spoken -the younger of the two, it seemed- held his hands to show he had nothing in them with a nervous smile.

"Are you alright, miss?"

I glanced around for the women, but they had left with the mugger. "..Yeah," I answered, my voice as shaky as my knees.

After a small silence, he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, sorry. I'm Matsuda, Touta."

"We're the police. Call the station," he told Touta. "Tell them we need a sketch from an eyewitness."

"R-right!"

As Mr. Matsuda dialed a number on his phone, the other man gave me a reassuring smile. "I'm Shuichi, Aizawa."

"..I'm Cathy Caitlyn," I answered, my Japanese -both the language and formalities- lacking. My kitten rubbed against my legs, gazing up at me with watery eyes. "And this is Ky."

He smiled down at the black cat. "Hello, Ky. We'll escort you home. Tomorrow, could you stop by the police station to describe the man?"

Nodding, I took a deep breath to settle my frayed nerves. "That's fine.."

* * *

"Miss?" the police chief asked. "Ma'am?"

I looked up slightly startled. "Oh?"

"Can you put the book away temporarily?"

My face heated in embarrassment as I marked my page and closed the current story I wanted to finish. "Sorry.."

"It's no problem." He smiled in a way that reminded me of a grandfather I might have had if I wasn't raised as an orphan. "We're almost done. Now, how was his hairline?"

"His face was hidden by his hair," I informed.

"Did you see any identifying traits this man possessed? Tattoos, birthmarks?"

"Hmm.. He slouched a lot, and had really, really dark bags under his eyes."

Nodding, a younger officer drew my description and handed it to Mr. Yagami, who looked at it once before showing it to me. "Like this?"

Taking a moment to search the details, I nodded once.

"Give this to Ukita," the deputy director instructed the sketch artist.

"Yes, sir."

He turned to me. "We're all done here, ma'am."

* * *

 **~4 weeks since the 1** **st** **murder~**

Raye Penber's death was sudden, but by no means unexpected by L. He knew there was a leek among the police officers, and he knew how to find its source.

The Kira investigation aside, L received a few facts concerning Bakura Bisdow's murder. She wasn't a freelance writer, but had intended to make her own book of recopies, and there were text messages she sent to her husband while his phone was turned off.

At 7:13 PM, Bakura started typing.

' _On my way home from the grocery store, & I think someone's following me..'_

' _Honey?'_

' _Made it home. Still feel uncomfortable.'_

' _Maybe I'm being paranoid..'_

The messages stopped for a little while, but picked back up at 8:27 PM. This time, they appeared more frantic.

' _I think I think I just saw something move outside through the kitchen window!'_

' _It could've been my imagination?'_

' _OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD'_

That's where she stopped. It was sent at 8:35. The gap between 2 in the morning and 8 at night was large. Had the killer kept her alive the entire night, or had Bakura hid from him? It could have been a great many of things, and they'd only find out once the murderer was apprehended.


	5. Quecksen Quartz

_**Yay! We're starting to get into the interesting portion of this story. I have many surprises in store for you, readers!**_

 _ **Also, I noticed I said the victims had been dragged with rope before, but I misread it. They were actually drugged, not hung. My bad. ^^'**_

 _ **Lastly, there's Easter, which means I won't go to school. This will be the last chapter until Monday, or Tuesday if I can't finish typing it out in one day.**_

 _ **Sorry, and onwards.**_

Soichiro Yagami was preparing to meet L face-to-face with Aizawa, Matsuda, Ukita, Ide, and Mogi. Whether or not it would be the real detective or another proxy had yet to be determined.

Well, they'd find out one way or another.

* * *

"That's right," L confirmed, addressing Mr. Yagami's question. "By showing you my face, I've lost the battle… But I'm not going to lose the war."

He gave a rare smile, which was more like a confident smirk. It had been some time since he last made a facial expression.

The group got down to business, the detective explaining how Kira was most likely being tailed by Raye Penber before he died a few days earlier.

On the outside, Ryuzaki appeared 100% focused on the case, but it was only skin-deep. In his head, he kept going over yet another Beyond-styled murder.

The victim was 12-year-old Quecksen Quartz. She lived in Aoyama, and died at about 4 AM two nights prior. Like Quarter Queen in Los Angeles, the girl's death was caused by blunt-force trauma to the skull, and, like Back-up's & this new unsub's previous attacks, she was drugged beforehand. Her eyes had also been crushed to match Queen's post-mortem mutilation. Her fridge was stocked with jam jars, and two Wara dolls had been nailed to the wall.

Again, the evidence pointed to Beyond Birthday, but that was a possibility L wouldn't entertain. It was too farfetched, too unrealistic. It had been a living, breathing person who did this. If he took the time to read the orphan's files, Ryuzaki was almost certain he'd find the culprit…

"Ryuzaki?"

The voice of Watari cut through his thoughts. Without having been asked, his care-taker went on, handing him the file. "The forensic results have come in."

"Thank you, Watari," L replied, accepting the latest development.

Inside, he found a photo of Bakura Bizdow's chest, which had Roman numerals carved in as he knew there would be. Only Beyond's case, the name of his next victim had been spelled out. This one had random letters:

' _LABBMC.'_

At first glance, L felt puzzled. It most likely stood for _Los Angeles: BB Murder Case_.

' _But that doesn't sound reasonable,'_ he thought, biting down on his thumb. _'Why would the killer mention it? It's clear that the case had been the catalyst.'_ Was he mocking the detective's intelligence, or was there another meaning behind the letters?

Soichiro had been staring at L for quite some time, which hadn't been missed by Ryuzaki.

"Yes?"

The Chief of Police averted his gaze. "It's nothing."

L pressed his mouth into a thin line, but let the matter drop.

* * *

The officers were leaving L's apartment with heavy eyelids. Mr. Yagami let his companions talk before Matsuda voiced his thoughts about the detective.

"Is it just me, or did Ryuzaki look familiar?"

"Glad I'm not the only one," Aizawa responded.

"He resembled Caitlyn, Cathy's description," Soichiro added with a nod.

"That's so weird! Do you think he was the guy who tried to mug her in the alley?"

Aizawa crossed his arms. "I wouldn't put it past a guy like that."

Their conversation dissolved into pointless banter, but Mr. Yagami couldn't quite shake the foreboding feeling from creeping down his spine.


	6. Books and Blackouts

_**I'm happy you're enjoying my story! I plan on having major twists and turns, so keep a sharp eye out, readers. Hopefully, it's not as predictable as some of my other works.**_

 _ **As always, onwards~**_

"You lied to them," sneered an amused voice.

"I had no choice," I replied tiredly. Arguing with her always drained me.

"Why's you use B.B.'s description?" The smile in her tone was clear.

"You already know the answer to that."

"But I want to hear _you_ say it."

Sighing, I closed my eyes. "Because I have to keep you from killing people."

She laughed, and, oh, how it reminded me of Beyond's own. It was psychotic, mocking, and pleased. Of course she sounded like him. The two had been close friends since they met in LA.

"But that isn't all of it."

". . . . I won't say it."

"Oh?" she teased. God, I wish she'd just go away. "Should we play the Guessing Game?"

"Shut up!" I snapped, turning to glare the woman down, but she was long gone.

* * *

Later that night, I browsed the book section in the store. My fingers brushed briefly over the spines as my eyes quickly scanned the titles, authors, and designs each had to offer.

Soon, I settled for an aged novel about vampires trying to take over London back in the 1800s. Three kids and one scientist made an unlikely team to combat the god Camazotz. They managed to temporarily banish him and his followers for what they thought was 1,000 years. The plot-line sounded entertaining.

I opened to the first page and brought it to my nose for a deep sniff. There was nothing like the smell of an old book.

While scenting the merchandise, my eyes caught sight of something I normally only saw at cemeteries, native American reserves, war zones, and sites of catastrophic events.

Endless amounts of wispy people milled about. There were so many that it was hard to distinguish the living from the dead. Then I noticed who they were gazing at.

It was a boy a couple years younger than myself with neat, brown hair and brown eyes. He was on the better side of the attractive scale, but wasn't really my type.

How could one kid have so many deceased trailing him everywhere?

' _No,'_ I chided myself. _'Don't get anyone involved. She'll kill him.'_

' _Actually,'_ I thought-debated, _'if his initials aren't the same, then she won't do anything. Besides, her next victim would be between 44- and 12-years-old like…'_

I froze, book half falling out of my grip.

' _Like ME.'_

Shaking my head, I slammed the cover louder than I intended.

' _She wouldn't kill me..'_

Fears un-eased, I walked over one isle and pretended to examine more spines, gradually moving closer to the teenager. It seemed he was looking for a schoolbook of some kind.

"Personally, I only read fictional works, but _'to each his own.'_ "My sudden voice caused him partial shock and partial confusion. No doubt the awkwardness I sensed in the air was pressing on him, too. We stood for a moment, neither knowing how to address the situation.

It finally occurred to me that the customs here weren't the same as the ones in LA.

"..I'm Cathy Caitlyn," I offered with an uncertain note or two.

"I'm Light Yagami," he replied politely.

Smiling, I attempted to start a conversation not involving the hundreds of ghosts following him.

"Getting ready for a test?"

"The Entrance Exams," he nodded in response with his own smile.

"No kidding? You seem like someone that has good grades."

"They're okay." The modesty in his voice told me they were higher than 'okay.'

"I was just out to buy a couple books." I held up the vampire novel.

"What's it about?"

"1850 London. A god from ancient Mexico's myth finds his way to the world's busiest port, and tries to control it so he can reach every corner of the globe."

"Sounds interesting. Maybe I'll read it sometime."

After another short silence, I gave a small half-wave.

"See yah around, Light."

The teen nodded and went back to examining the shelves.

I got a tiny new book, and bought it with the older novel. As I left the store, something made me glance at the large glass wall. My eyes widened as my jaw hung slightly agape.

Standing over Light's shoulder with a wicked grin stood Beyond Birthday. He tilted his head back upon seeing me and laughed crazily. The sound; oh God, the **_sound_**. Even though the glass was between us, I could hear him as clear as day. It was exactly like when he did it in Los Angeles, but worse.

Never before had a ghost recognized me the way BB had. Legs turning into jello, I collapsed to the ground and blacked out.


	7. Waking Nightmare

_**I took great pride in writing this chapter, so I hope you'll like it. It was especially satisfying knowing you'll assume to know who the unnamed man was. :P This**_ **is** _ **a mystery story, after all.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

I woke up in an apartment with the lights completely off with a splitting migraine throbbing in my head. It felt like someone knocked me out with a sledgehammer. Upon further investigation, I found my outfit had changed and cleaned. My hair was damp as though I had recently showered.

As though it was nothing to worry about, I sat up and stretched. Believe it or not, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened to me. In fact, it was getting to be a frequent occurrence.

What happened between blacking out at the store and me waking up, I had no clue. Well, I could _guess_ , but I wouldn't like any of the answers.

I went around flipping the lights on to better see where I was. It wasn't a large place, but wasn't by any means cheap and junky. They might even have room service, if I was lucky. Apparently, the only thing I hadn't done was eat.

On my way to the kitchen, I spotted red seeping on the carpet through the wooden frame. Of course, me being as curious as a cat, I looked inside the room.

The scene was quite grizzly. A man roughly my age -26 or so- was sprawled out on the floor, the white tiles stained in blood. His left arm and right leg had been amputated, but weren't anywhere in sight. And Ky -oh, sweet, protective Ky- was crammed inside of a cat-carrier and meowing up a storm.

Was it bad that my first thought was _'is Ky okay?'_

I took a moment to glance at the fridge and saw three straw dolls nailed to the wall. This was awful, and it made me sick, so I ran to the bathroom. The shower curtain was pulled to one side, revealing the missing leg that was sitting in the tub. More blood was splattered on the floor.

' _Her leaving me here means something.'_ I closed the door softly. _'It's a message. She's taunting me, and wants me to know I can't stop her.'_

On shaky feet and wobbly knees, I went back into the kitchen and let Ky out. From there, I grabbed a jar of jam and left while eating it. There wasn't anything I could do for the man who was now a corpse.

I didn't get very far before I heard the sirens.

"Damn! She must've called the police to frame me.."

Doing my best to keep my cool, I tried to stay out of sight, using alleys and the night-time shadows. Head turned to look behind me, I bumped into a solidly built person and landed flat on my butt.

"Uh, sorry," I apologized from the ground.

"In a hurry?"

My blood froze in my veins as I recognized the familiar voice. I delayed looking up at the man, afraid of what I'd see before me.

"It's rude not to look the person you're talking to in the eye."

For some reason, I listened to his chastisement, slowly bringing my eyes up. My heart leapt into my throat at the sight. No, it wasn't possible..

The man moved so that his nose was merely inches from my own, his hands on his hips like a spoiled teenager. I could feel myself trembling where I sat, unable to utter his name.

"Long time no see, _'Cathy,'_ " he smirked, putting an emphasis on my false name.

"B-bu-but you're dead..And I t-touched you…How?"

He stood up and waved a dismissive hand. "Later. It's not exactly like I have all night to play the guessing game." It was odd that he used my saying. "L is working our case, which means it won't take long for him to start suspecting you're the one committing the murders. That's good. Use his suspicions to our advantage."

Flashing lights illuminated the buildings down the street from us, which made him frown.

"You sure did piss her off, didn't you? Better get going, or else you'll end up in jail. And, trust me, you wouldn't last 24 hours there."

The same the invisible force that made me look at him made my body to stand and run. It propelled me on past the point of exhaustion. One thought kept bouncing around in my head.

' _Don't get caught.'_

* * *

The unsub was slipping. With three people dead, he would be at impasse. He'd have one of three options. He could attempt suicide by fire like Back-up, cease murdering, or continue on with more victims. The unpredictability of it all gave L less stress than it would have had he not gained some much-needed physical evidence.

In 26-year-old Bye Beitt's apartment -the third victim-, police found hairs in the shower drain and on one of the pillows, finger prints on multiple door knobs, a cat-carrier with feline fur inside, and partial foot prints in Bye's blood.

The unsub became so sloppy that it made the detective grow suspicious. He had been so careful at the first two scenes. What could have caused such a condemning lack of details?

Something didn't feel right to L. This wasn't the same as the Beyond Birthday the killer mimicked so well.

The DNA results would be back shortly. Whatever the case may be, he'd uncover it soon enough.


	8. Prolonged

_**Onwards.**_

Light knew he was under surveillance upon seeing the led broken, and the paper slipped back into place. That had been a couple weeks ago, and he had played the part of a normal A-student well.

For the sake of realism, Light had talked to Cathy whenever they bumped into one another. She was a normal woman other than a few quirks of hers. Like how she sniffed her books -which she took everywhere- when she thought no one was looking, or how she shied away from touching people even on accident, or even how her eyes kept jumping around the ground, never stopping on one spot until she speaks to Light. Then she looked him straight in the eyes.

Cathy wasn't that important to the student, though. He only used her so that he appeared normal in his socializing to those around him. Light wasn't considering what her behavior might mean.

* * *

The DNA results came back, and Watari delivered them to L immediately, not having opened the file once.

The hairs in the drain and on the pillow belonged to an American woman approximately 25 years old with wheat-blonde hair and, shockingly, silver eyes. She had been raised in multiple orphanages in a few states with no records of parental lineage of any sort. The girl had been a little under 3 years old when she showed up in Austin, Texas, having been left on a Day-Care Center's doorstep, and aged out of a Youth Center in Los Angeles. She stayed there only two months after the LABB Murder Case ended. To date, the woman was in Japan.

All the facts fit, other than one thing. She had never been to Wammy's or England. Beyond must have met her while committing the three murders.

This possibility rested on an unstable theory. Back-up would have had to teach the girl everything he had done, but he didn't trust people. Why her? What made Beyond pick her?

It didn't matter at the moment. The Ningyo Massacre Case -as the NPA named it- was supposed to come second to the Kira investigation. Ryuzaki forbad Task Force members from participating in the string of killings so they'd stay focused.

L had to take his own advice. He had all the recourses to pursue the woman, but the detective could do that any given day. Going to take the Entrance Exams with Light Yagami was a one-time-only opportunity. As much as it irritated him, Ryuzaki delayed catching the woman.


	9. Who I Am

_**Sorry about the last chapter's shortness, but it was just a filler. ^^' This should start showing Cathy's background to you, readers, and bring Light in a little more, too. Also, the last part switches verb tense, but that's on purpose.**_

 _ **Onwards.**_

There wasn't much trouble realizing someone was watching me. It wouldn't be the first time as many people wanted me dead. I didn't act like I knew. So long as he thought he wasn't compromised, he might slip up.

Seemingly clueless, I turned to enter the park, and took the hiking trail. As planned, the man followed. I walked for some time before stopping to check my shoe laces. He took the opportunity to try and grab me.

His fingers brushed the back of my neck, and I slammed my foot into his shin, kicking backwards. Not expecting the attack, he became unbalanced. I took advantage of this, striking his gut with my elbow. The blow caused him to double over, hands holding his stomach while grimacing.

Advancing, I let my guard down, assuming he was temporarily dazed, but the man lashed out with a short knife, cutting my forearm. I recoiled with a sharp intake of air.

He smirked, thinking he now had the upper hand in the fight.

I recognized his blade. It was the same one that had been pressed against my throat not too long ago. _**He**_ had attacked me in the alley that night; attacked us.

Fresh anger trickled into my veins as I glared daggers at the man. I felt my self-control slip out of my grasp. Everything grew out-of-focus, and a haze settled over my brain.

In what seemed like mere seconds later, my mind zoned back in. My knuckles stung, and bruises were already forming. A low groan made me look down.

The guy lay on his side, palms covering his face and stained with blood. One of his legs had been the wrong way, but it wasn't at the knee. No, from the shin down, the bone jutted out to the left, and his foot was turned to the left. Luckily, it hadn't pierced his artery. His now ruined shirt stuck up where a rib or two had also broke. Without medical attention, he would bleed out to death.

It wasn't the sight of him that made tears fall down my cheeks. It wasn't the sick smell of blood that made my knees tremble.

The ghost women I had seen in the alley were there. They were still wispy shadows, all mutilated and transparent. On their faces were wicked smirks as they reached down like they wanted to grab him. Each curled her fingers without touching the man, and let out pleased howls, surrounding him in a circle.

A silent chant radiated from the spirits: _'One of us.. One of us..'_

Shaking my head softly, I turned and walked back the way I had come from.

I didn't call the police.

I didn't call the paramedics.

I just left.

* * *

I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling above my head. I had been found again apparently. My mind wondered back to LA.

. . . .

A sticky warmth traveled between my fingers. It was blood -my blood-. I had held my hands balled up in tight fists so hard that my fingernails bit into my palms and left crescent-shaped cuts. My entire body shook from the white-hot rage.

Beyond had been caught all thanks to Naome Misora. The temptation to kill her burned in the back of my head.

But I did nothing to the woman.

We had made a deal, Beyond and I. In the event of his failure -which would mean his death or permanent incarceration-, I was to stay away from L, Naome, and anything to do with the murders.

I wiped the blood on my pants, not caring if it stained them or not. Packing; I had to start packing, but.. _**She**_ didn't want to go, and if I leave, she goes with me by force.

. . . .

 _I'm blind. My eyes burn, and blinking changes nothing. Wait, I can still see. Everything's just pure white. I take a quick look around, attempting to find anything._

 _There's a door, and as I get closer, I notice the interact details along the frame. The door is dark with red undertones -possibly cherry wood-, and the knob looks like it contains large amounts of gold._

 _I turn it and peak inside._

 _On a carpeted floor sits a girl with long hair the color of wheat, which is, strikingly, exactly how I used to style my own a majority of my life. She sobs into her hands softly, shoulders lifting up and going down with her shaky breathing._

 _I hesitate, and then take uncertain steps toward her. "Are you okay?" The girl cries on, so I advance closer. "Hello?"_

 _Halfway between the door and girl, I hit an invisible object. It smudges when I run my hands over it. Glass, I concluded._

 _She stops after I bump against the glass wall. Slowly standing, the girl turns to look at me, and I gasp._

 _I look back and see the door's gone. Even though I'm not facing her, I know who I had seen. Long, blonde hair, silver eyes, vacant expression. She was nineteen, the age I had been when she came along.._

 _A thought occurs to me, so I look at the faint reflection of myself. I look like how I did before meeting BB or her, the one standing before me. We are exact copies of one another, though she's much older than I am. Instead of being 25, however, I'm also nineteen._

 _Silent as the grave, we both stare at one another._

 _By herself, the girl reaches out a hand and moves it toward me. I try to step back, but my feet stay where they are. Her fingertips brush the glass, and she smiles broadly. My worrying amuses the girl._

 _"Karra," she sings happily. "You can't get rid of me, Karra. We both know that."_

 _She pushes herself through the glass, and her features morph as she crosses the threshold. Her blonde hair becomes dirty and limp, her silver irises dull as though the life in them is seeping away. Her clothes are getting torn and blood-stained._

 _No.._ Our _hair;_ our _eyes;_ our _clothes. She is me, and I am her. I've known this all along, and no matter how much I try, that will never change. I am.._


	10. Entrance Exam

_**Enjoy and onwards, readers.**_

"I guess I'll see you around."

"I guess so."

Ryuga -no, L- opened the limo's door and was half-way in when he heard Cathy speak.

"Hey," she smiled. "Your mom and sister told me that yo-.. Oh, I'm sorry." She bowed respectfully. "I didn't see you there. My name's Cathy Caitlyn. You are?.."

By that point, the woman had straightened up and saw Ryuga, or L, if it wasn't another proxy. The calm exterior she always seemed to have melted into horror mixed with confusion as her eyes flicked between Hideki and Light as if the weird man might not really be there. Then her initial reaction changed to adopt a sheepish embarrassed smile.

"Hideki Ryuga," the weird man replied, appearing unfazed. He turned to the graduate. "It was nice meeting you."

The limo drove off, leaving Cathy and Light. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye while pretending to watch Ryuga's ride bland into the traffic. Her expression was as to be expected: surprised to see someone dressed like that attending an Acceptance Ceremony and be picked up in a limousine.

"..Who _was_ that guy?" she asked, not wanting his name, which she already knew.

"He's the second Class Representative," he answered.

"Really?" Her shock displayed in her voice. "What'd he make?"

"Like me, a perfect score."

Frowning, she nodded her head, but I could tell she was thinking of something else. The look she had shown moments before her mask slammed back into place had appeared like recognition. Did she know that _'Ryuga'_ as L?

They started walking aimlessly, her cat bounding out of the shade of a nearby cherry blossom tree to trail behind his master. A short silence ensued while he pondered how to phrase his question without sounding too interested.

That was highly unlikely.

"You looked pretty startled when you saw Ryuga." Cathy gave a distracted nod. "…Do you know him?"

Brown eyes suddenly exhausted, the woman shook her head and spoke slowly. "I knew someone who looked like him, but he's dead.."

So she had mistaken L for another person?

"…..Correct me if I'm overstepping boundaries, but how did he die?"

Giving the ground a soft, sad smile, her hair blocked his view of most of her face. A lone tear rolled down her cheek, but she paid it no attention. "Because he was being stupid."

* * *

"What?!" Mr. Yagami was clearly angry at L -no, infuriated. "It wasn't enough for you to accuse my son of being Kira, but now you're saying Light's involved in _another_ case?!"

"He is not a suspect," L responded blankly. "But he is associated with a potentially dangerous individual, Karra Clayton. I simply wish for his cooperation and assistance to confront the main suspect." In reality, the detective would use the chance to further analyze Light Yagami.

"So he'll be your bait," Aizawa summarized, arms crossed. He, too, wasn't pleased with the situation at hand.

If only they could see it like L could..

* * *

Hideki Ryuga; popular Japanese actor with a fan-base the size of China. Just about everyone called him _'dreamy,'_ _'hot,'_ and _'perfect in every way.'_

The man at the ceremony definitely was NOT the renowned celebrity. The only person who looked like him was..

Beyond Birthday.

B.B. never explained why he dressed the way he did, at least, not directly. 'I'm taunting L,' was the closest he'd ever come to answering that question. He said I'd understand one day. Could that have been L? _The_ L? I knew he was in this part of Japan, but meeting him –out in the middle of the day- could lead Kira to discover what the detective looked like.

Why take such a risky gamble?

My mind jumped back a few hours. Light. He had been talking to the graduate when I found them. Was he, in some way, tied to the Kira investigation? What was Light Yagami's connection to the heart attack murders or L?

Yagami. Where had I heard that surname before?

The Police Chief! That was it. But that wasn't a strong enough link, not for someone like L. What other reasons could there be?...


	11. Sloppy Habits

_**Sorry it took so long for this update, but my teacher noticed the lack of progress in my work, so I've been trying to get a few quizzes done for him. I've already have a few more chapters to type out, so don't worry about having to wait a while.**_

 _ **Onwards~**_

Light Yagami swung his tennis racket in a strong back-stroke. The tennis match was a blatant test to assess his behavior. Should he win? Should he loose? Both options lowered and raised the chances of him being Kira.

In a split second, Light used all of his force in his next swing. L tried to serve it back, but blinked when it passed. His opponent was going for the win after all.

 **POV Switch:**

I happened to pass by a couple tennis courts on my way to the grocery store, Ky following behind me. There, I saw Hideki and Light engaged in an intense game of tennis. A large crowd had gravitated around them like it was a professional match. And it could have been with the way the pair played.

Finding a place to stand, I waited for the final score. Laughter I wished to never hear again made me jump out of my skin. Beyond Birthday stood beside me, gazing at Ryuga and the Police Chief's son with a wicked grin.

" _He knows."_

"What? Wait, don't go yet! _Who_ knows _what_?"

But, as Light and Ryuga started leaving the court, B.B. went with them, but I couldn't tell who he was following this time.

* * *

Ky and I returned home after the ceremony ended. Beyond had left me frazzled with his vague message. Did he mean Brad? Luke? David? There were other men I could list, but my gut told me it wasn't any of them.

It might be L.

Going inside my rented house, I stepped on something. I scooped up an envelope without a second thought, then locked the door. The letter would have to wait. Ky needed to be fed, and I wanted food myself.

Meals freshly made, I sat on the couch to examine the note closer. There wasn't a name written on the outside, and the seal was still intact. From what I could tell, it hadn't been opened yet. I slid a finger across the top so I could get the letter out.

' _Miss Clayton,_

 _Look out your window.'_

Frowning, I set the page down as I gazed outside like instructed. Squad cars were parked around the house with their sirens and lights off despite the late hour. Officers trained their guns on the front door, and there was no doubt a few had gone around to secure the back door. I took a few steps back, shocked at the sight illuminated only by the pale moonlight.

Crumbling the letter in one hand, I glared at the floor while biting my bottom lip to the point that it drew blood. Why was this man so.. annoying?

No wonder Beyond hated him.

"Like hell he's going to get me without a fight," I muttered to myself.

Throwing the paper aside haphazardly, I grabbed my jacket and slipped it on. Ky joined me in my steady stride to the bedroom. In there was a window almost completely blocked by a large tree in full bloom. It was one of the reasons I chose the property to rent on the first place.

With what I was used to, I expected jumping out of a window three feet high and three feet across placed only a foot-and-a-half from the ground would be relatively easy, but when I was almost all the way out with one foot still inside, my shoelace caught the edge of the windowsill. As graceful as a one-legged chicken, I toppled the rest of the way outside in a condemningly loud face-plant. Ky, my ever-faithful companion, sat on the sill while looking down at his human with a disappointed and shameful shake of his kitten head.

Needless to say, my fuck-up had been heard by the cops. A few formed a half-circle around me, guns and nightsticks at the ready. Spitting grass and dirt out of my mouth, I pushed myself up with my arms, and flashed a fake enthusiastic grin.

"Hello, boys. Did you know that's not a door?" I pointed at the window.

Two pulled me to my feet, and slapped a pair of handcuffs on my wrists. One spoke into a hand-held radio, calling in that they apprehended their suspect. I was escorted to one of the waiting vehicles, then, with me secured, the officers talked amongst themselves.


	12. Interrogations

_**Hope you're still enjoying this, readers!**_

 _ **Onwards and forwards.**_

The drive was boring before it even started, so I decided to converse with the cop at the wheel and his ghost.

"Who's Dota?" I asked him.

The car lurched as the man's eyes went to look at me in the rearview mirror. He tried to hide his confusion with a scowl.

"I don't know a 'Dota,' he replied in a husky voice, but his eyes displayed the hesitation I grew used to seeing when mentioning the dead to their attached person.

"Really? I think he was your 8-year-old son."

Pain in his eyes. I continued to push for some reason.

"Blonde, like his mom; blue eyes, too. Dota has one dimple and a scar where he busted his chin on the bathtub."

"..H-how did you…?"

"He had horrible reactions to peanut oil, and one of his friends' parents made brownies using peanut butter in the batter. Dota had eaten two and after a half-hour later, his teacher finally noticed the signs of anaphylactic shock, having originally thought Dota was coming down with a cold or the Flu. An ambulance arrived to help, but his throat had swollen to the point that he couldn't breathe. He died on the way to the hospital, and you blamed yourself.. You still do."

My eyes looked from Officer Rickor to his son, who sat in the passenger's side. The boy placed a hand on his father's shoulder, though he knew he could never be seen or felt.

By the time we got to the station, Mr. Rickor was bawling like he had the moment he found out Dota passed away around strangers instead of his family. It was cruel, the thing I had just done, and I hadn't meant to say anything about the ghost boy.

I was getting worse with each minute.

* * *

L watched the interrogation footage live in his hotel room, thumb between his teeth. In the room on the monitor were Karra Clayton and Uie Carnel. He was the fourth officer to try to get a confession from the woman.

Carnel set a photo before Karra. It showed the left arm of Bye Beitt.

"Do you know what this is?" the man asked.

"Well, it certainly isn't a chicken leg," Karra replied sarcastically.

"It's the arm of a 26-year-old man, beaten and bruised. Guess where we found it."

"Japan."

"In _your_ house."

"In all technicality, it's not my house. You should be questioning the lady I'm renting from."

"We didn't find evidence that your landlord was at his apartment, but your DNA and fingerprints were all over the place. Explain that for me."

Karra blinked, her expression suddenly turning from mocking to a void. L took note of the flip in her behavior for later scrutinizing. This happened every time one of the cops gave her condemning evidence.

"Tell me, Uie." She leveled him a somewhat amused gaze. "Did you cry at your sister's funeral?"

"You must be mistaken," Mr. Carnel said, attempting to dodge answering the question, but the detective knew it was a telltale sign that she had hit a nerve, which he and Karra both knew. "I don't-"

"Jacosta Carnel committed suicide after your parents divorced when the both of you were 13. She was your fraternal twin, meaning you didn't look like copies of one another. People often told her she laughed like an angel. You called her 'Coast', and if anyone else used that nickname, it made you two mad. Jacosta helped you when kids bullied you in school, and you helped her study to get good grades."

Ryuzaki leaned closer to his screen, silently wondering if this woman was a part of some kind of government-funded task force. She knew far too much about everyone assigned to interrogate her as she had only recently stayed in Japan. A silly theory, yes, but also probable. The detective say yet another grown man reduced to a depressed shell in a manner of half an hour.

"Your sister wants you to know something, Uie." Carnel brought his dull eyes up to look Karra in the eye. "Jacosta says she knew all along that you let Hamtaro out of his cage, and that she knows it was just an accident. It wasn't your fault he got eaten by Buyo."

Such a silly tidbit of information, irrelevant, but there was more to it than meets the eye. A revelation dawned on L. Karra was able to give the man very deep details, but this was the first time they had ever spoken, let alone learned his childhood. Something was amiss, just like when he worked the LABB Murder Case.

Ryuzaki pressed down on one of the buttons on the keyboard. "Watari, arrange things so that I may question Miss Clayton."

* * *

" _Miss Clayton,"_ L's distorted voice said over the computer screen. _"My name is-"_

"L," Karra finished.

For safety reasons, Ryuzaki had Watari set up a one-way camera to a laptop, which was set on the opposite end of the table from the woman so-as not to reveal his face. He had done this many times as it was. If his suspicions were right…

Well, this was the best route for him to take.

" _Ye-"_

"You think I did it," she stated flatly, eyes revealing a deep-seeded fire the woman hadn't shown to the police.

" _The evidence is overwhelming,"_ Ryuzaki replied.

Leaning close to the screen as far as she could in handcuffs, Karra stared straight into the camera lens. "I didn't do it." She put an emphasis on each word.

L examined everything he possibly could without being there in person for signs that showed she was lying in any way, shape, or form. He glimpsed something in her expression that gave him reason to question how much he thought he knew considering her past and profile..

" _Unless you can prove you are, indeed, innocent, I'm afraid you will remain in police custody."_

Nodding, the woman agreed.

The detective wanted to analyze her mindset above anything else. _"A dismembered and beaten arm discovered in your basement. It belonged to Bye Beitt, the third victim in a string of murders."_

"He was already dead when I woke up."

" _Why were you in his apartment?"_

Narrowing her eyes, Karra frowned deeply. "It wasn't about sex, if that's what you were insinuating. One moment, I'm walking out of the store, and the next thing I know, I'm inside a strange place in a fancy hotel."

" _What was the store's name?"_

"The _'Lotus Lunch'_ or something."

" _Are there any witnesses to verify this?"_

"Yeah. I talked to Light before buying the novels."

Ryuzaki's eyes snapped to the screen. Was she joking? He had to be sure.

" _Light Yagami?"_

"Yup."

* * *

Light Yagami. Why did everything always come back to Light Yagami?

Dipping the spoon he used to eat onto the ceramic plate, L inserted his thumb between his teeth. Originally, he had assumed Karra Clayton was lacking intelligence-wise with how the police caught her –tripping and falling out of a window 18 inches above ground-level, but to toy with the minds and emotions of individuals trained to handle such things to the point of mental breakdowns suggested wits paralleled to Back-up himself. There were a few theories as to how she acquired personal information of the police officers.

How Karra appeared differently around the cops and himself with Ryuzaki being the only one to see her two sides was just like how the detective saw the two sides of Light. He looked innocent with L the only one objecting.

And he didn't trust either of them when they spoke. The truth would be found one way or another. Ryuzaki had no choice now but to bring Light in for questioning his whereabouts the day of the murder. If Kira didn't kill the detective, then Chief Yagami certainly would.

* * *

" _Light Yagami,"_ Ryuzaki said, once again hiding behind a laptop screen. _"Where were you Thursday evening from seven to nine PM?"_

The newly graduated student sat casually in the metal chair across from the one-way window. L's monitor faced him across the table, his usual calligraphy _'L'_ displayed over a white backdrop. Light made sure he appeared relaxed and somewhat confused, which meant no fidgeting, bouncing his leg, shifting his eyes, and absolutely no sweating.

"I was on my way home from school, and stopped at a store for a couple textbooks," he answered honestly.

" _Do you remember what the store's name was?"_

"The Lotus Lounge."

" _Can you recall when you arrived and left?"_

Pursing his mouth, the teen tried to think of it. "…I got there around 7:40, and left about 8:05."

" _Did you happen to speak to anyone to verify your story?"_

"An alibi?.." Now Light was really confused. This had no relevance to the Kira case at all. Nor would it increase or decrease his chances of being Kira. "I spoke to a woman briefly."

" _What was her name?"_

"Cathy Caitlyn, I believe."

" _When did she leave the store?"_

"… Close to 8:00."

" _Did she tell you where she was going?"_

"I didn't ask, I'm afraid. Is she alright?" He put fake concern in his voice and expression.

" _What was her behavior like?"_

The graduate frowned as L avoided answering him. "Timid, awkward, and polite."

" _She showed no signs of violent thoughts? No nervousness or aggression?"_

"Not at all."

" _Have the two of you contacted one another since your first meeting?"_

"We've bumped into each other several times, and I introduced her to my family."

" _You are friends?"_

Light took a second then nodded. "I'd like to think so."

"What do you know about Cathy Caitlyn?"

This made him pause. What _did_ he know? Her name, her pet's name, she was a foreigner…

Where did she use to live? What was her job? What was her family situation? Why did she move? Had she given him any childhood memories? Did she complete high school? Go to college? Had she dropped out of either one? Did she like learning or hate it?

"…..Not much of anything," he admitted.

Ryuzaki's voice, though drastically distorted, sounded satisfied. "We are through here."


End file.
